The Stigma Of Dating Someone Who Is HIV Positive

According to the CDC, over one million Americans are HIV positive, and an estimated one out of seven people are living with HIV but don’t know. Despite the many campaigns that are aimed at creating awareness about people living with HIV, people with the disease are still stigmatized. Most people in the society perceive people who are HIV positive as sinners. While others see HIV positive people as reckless who made a big mistake that they are paying the price for. First of all it is wrong to pass judgment to anyone. And second, we are living in the 21st century and not the 20th century. In the 20th century there was little information about HIV. Therefore, people used to see it as a death sentence if you are diagnosed with HIV. Fast forward to date, there is information all over internet about HIV and how to prevent it. Unlike past wrong beliefs, HIV cannot be transmitted by shaking hands with someone who is HIV positive. Also, we all know that HIV can be transmitted through unprotected sex with someone who is HIV positive. Hugging or eating together with someone who is HIV positive does not pose any risk to you. When you use this information while dating someone who is HIV positive, you will have a happy and fulfilling relationship.

You might think that you will not be prejudiced when your partner is HIV positive, but the stigma of dating someone who is HIV positive is real. People who are HIV positive deserve to be loved just like anybody else. However, there is a common perception that people who are HIV positive should date people who are HIV positive. In case, an HIV positive person date someone who is HIV negative, it is seen as a risky relationship that could lead to transmission of HIV to the uninfected partner. Of course it is not bad to fall in love with someone who is HIV positive, so long as they are open with you to disclose their status. However, most people who date HIV positive people are discouraged by their families or friends to end the relationship. They are afraid that you will get infected. What they don’t understand is that HIV is not transmitted between partners who know their status. But rather, it is transmitted between partners who are dating and have sex without knowing their HIV status.

If one partner is HIV positive and the other is negative and they both know their status, they will do everything to prevent transmission of the virus. However, the stigma of dating someone who is HIV positive gets worse when the date is over. It is obvious that dates don’t last forever. That is also true among dates between HIV positive and HIV negative people. The problem is that even if your breakup was as a result of other reasons not related to HIV, people will start speculating about your HIV status. HIV negative people have come out to confess about the stigma they are facing because of dating people who are HIV positive. People will start saying cold things like you are HIV positive now that you dated someone with the virus. If these rumors continue, it can make you feel guilty and have shame that you dated someone who is HIV positive. Others have faced rejection when they want to start a new date with someone who is HIV negative like them. The reason being that they don’t believe you are really HIV negative. The only way we can stop the stigma of dating someone who is HIV positive is by society changing their mentality about HIV. This can be achieved by educating yourself about the virus.